In the capable hands of Avondale’s Head Gardener, Ricardo, our veg and herb production on the farm has expanded significantly this year so that FABER’s guests enjoy more of an authentic ‘farm to table’ experience. Ricardo, a serial winner of Avondale’s best garden competition, has those proverbial green fingers. Last year, he needed a bit of encouragement to leave tractor driving behind, but today he is as flourishing as the garden in his new role. We are, of course, applying all of our Biodynamic principles techniques and preparations in the garden with a focus on building the soils and providing healthy, balanced nutrition for the crops. While the farm families have always had veg gardens on the farm, we are now trying out different kinds of crops and enjoying the learning curve. There is currently a big trend towards heirloom veg and it has been interesting growing oxheart tomatoes, black radishes and chilies that change from red to purple. However, when it comes to heirloom, our focus is actually more on tapping into sources of true heirloom Cape Winelands seeds. We’re drawn towards old farmstock of seeds of veg such as corn, sweet potatoes and onions that have been almost unconsciously naturally selected to become bona fide local heirloom seeds. Here we are finding truly exciting varietals, literally out of time, which are really satisfying to bring to the table at FABER.